About

Geoff Peters

Hi, I’m Geoff Peters from Vancouver Canada. This is my mobile video blog, Geoffmobile, where I feature interviews and local content from the city I live in.

The objective of Geoffmobile is to connect people around the world with interesting arts, culture, technology, music, food, current events and hobbies in the Vancouver area and worldwide. The site is an outlet for my passions and creativity and I welcome visitor feedback and comments – let’s keep the discussion going!

Music has been a big part of my life. I studied classical piano, and jazz saxophone in elementary and high school. In college, I studied jazz piano (as well as computer science). In 2010 I released a CD with my jazz trio called “Quiet Night“.

Recently I have become interested in electronic music, and in particular the fundamentals of synthesis of sound. I started out with a Korg MS2000B which was an amazing instrument but limited with 4 voice polyphony. I upgraded to a Roland Gaia SH-01 and never looked back! :) I find the Gaia to be a revolutionary design, which is very intuitive and extremely powerful at the same time. I have put together a collection of the best tutorial videos on the Roland Gaia.

Video at Restaurants

As you can probably tell from some of the videos on this site, I enjoy vlogging about great restaurant meals.

For all my videos I pay for the food like a regular customer, as well as leave a generous tip. (Unless the restaurant hires me to do the video for them, in which case I will receive the food at a discount or even free :)

Tipping at Restaurants

For calculating the tip at restaurants, I use the free Android app Geoff’s Geotip. (little plug there for my own app, but do check it out, I think you might find it useful!)

Filmmaking

This blog also features some higher def content as I develop my passion of filmmaking. I completed several courses in the Digital Video Production and Photography programs at Langara College in Vancouver. One of my films was shown at the Cannes festival in 2012. More recently, I wrote, directed and acted in a short film called “Robo Robert“.

Camera Tips

Most of the videos on this site were filmed using either my cell phone (now a Google/LG Nexus 5 running Android), or my various other cameras that I have owned over the years. I am a big fan of prosumer point-and-shoots, and have used cameras from Canon, Panasonic, and Sony. I have owned Lumix Panasonic DMC-ZR3 (720p), Sony Cybershot DSC-HX7V, HX9V, HX30v, RX100 Mk1, and RX100 Mk2. Many of these cameras have amazing 1080p full HD quality, low noise in the image, acceptable low light performance, good quality colors, and decent stereo sound quality in such tiny cameras.

I am currently using Sony Cybershot RX100 Mk2 as my main videography camera, which works great for filming events and even the occasional short film or corporate video for clients.

As of November 2014, I am keeping a close eye on the reviews of the Panasonic LX-100 camera, which is the first point-and-shoot camera that is capable of capturing 4K video with a micro-four-thirds size sensor.

Wind Noise on Cameras

For outdoor shooting with these cameras, I found a trick to eliminate “wind noise” – the annoying sound of wind hitting the microphone. The solution is to go to a fabric store and purchase some “fake fur” fabric like you would find on a teddy bear. Then also purchase some “stickytack” removable adhesive, and cut out a piece of fur fabric to fit on top of the camera’s microphone. I stick the stickytack to the fur to attach it to the camera, without blocking the microphone holes. I learned this trick from the excellent Filmmaking site called QuickFX. View their video by clicking here, which explains this easy technique for eliminating wind noise on cameras.

Uploading Video from Mobile Phones

In the past I also used the video capabilities of a Alcatel Tribe, Nokia 3500 and a Blackberry Curve, which were great learning tools to experiment with mobile video.

I sometimes upload videos directly from my Android phone to Youtube using the latest version of the Youtube app from Google (which now allows uploading large video files even using the 3G/4G network connection). On Android I also sometimes use the free Vidtrim app (available from Google Play Store) to trim the beginnings and endings of some of my videos.

Professional Camera? What about SLR cameras?

When I was doing more still photography, I used the Canon EOS T2i (550D) Digital SLR camera. It has a semi-professional quality sensor that captures in 1080p (full HD), and is good for both video and still photography. Tests have shown that its video quality compares quite well alongside the more expensive Canon 60d and 7d. It is great for filmmakers on a budget because of its lower price compared to these higher end models. Other great cameras to check out are the Panasonic Lumix GH2/GH3/GH4, which resolve more detail than the Canons (with the right lens and software settings).

Another good camera is the Canon 60d, because it offers a flip out screen, and a more sturdy body. I made an investment into buying some extra lenses for my T2i including a Canon 18-200mm “Super Zoom” (may be cheaper if you buy through the US based site Amazon.com rather than Amazon.ca or a local Canadian retailer). This is a very versatile and popular lens that I found great for many situations.

What is Magic Lantern?

For users of Canon DSLR’s who are interested in shooting video, I highly recommend checking out the free Magic Lantern firmware, which adds more controls and features to your camera that usually can only be found in higher-end video cameras. I now use Magic lantern for my Canon T2i for all my video shoots using this camera.

My Other Film Work

My main film-production and creative portfolio website, where you can also find out about my other projects, is www.birdsinthehouse.com

Unless otherwise stated, this website, associated content, source code, videos, and other links (all of which are known as “Geoffmobile”) are provided “as-is,” without any express or implied warranty. In no event shall Geoff Peters be held liable for any damages arising from the use of Geoffmobile. By continuing to use this website, you agree to these terms.